


Handcuffed

by Dragonquillca



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Action, Bank Robbery, Complete, F/F, Gun Violence, Hostage Situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-08 11:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5495165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonquillca/pseuds/Dragonquillca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ellis Lincoln is running late, but is stunned to find herself standing behind Ashlyn Harris in the bank. As they wait in line, they fall victim to a hold-up scheme gone wrong. There's little to do but talk as they're handcuffed together, locked in a vault and waiting for rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Running Late

**Author's Note:**

> I expect this will be a shorter work than most of my others. It's the result of playing a mental game of "what if" after twisting a writing prompt I saw online. Yes, it's a short lead-in, but the next chapters are already written and waiting to be posted.  
> Enjoy!

She knew better than to leave so late. The bank always seemed slower when she was in a hurry. But she had left 15 minutes later than she was supposed to. There was one teller, 5 people ahead of her and the elderly customer at the counter was hard of hearing.

Wonderful.

There was no way she was going to make it to work on time now. She sighed heavily.

The blonde in front of her half-turned and shot her a quick smile. “Hope you weren’t in a hurry.”

Ellis just about swallowed her tongue in surprise. “You’re...”

“Yeah, I am.” The woman in front of her turned more fully, smiled and stuck her hand out. “Bet you didn’t figure on meeting me here, did you?”

“I’ve been a fan ever since the World Cup. I’m Ellis Lincoln.” She couldn’t believe whose hand she was shaking!

“That’s an interesting name.” Ashlyn replied as she glanced back to the counter. “Ah, looks like we might be making some progress.”

“Thank goodness. I left the house too late, my own fault really...” Ellis started to ramble, awe-struck in the knowledge that she was casually chatting with Ashlyn Harris, in a bank of all places!

Someone outside held the door open for the elderly woman as she left, and then came through the doors themselves. Ellis glanced over, thought it had been a kind gesture and was turning her attention back to Ashlyn when the newcomer shouted,

“This is a hold up! Do exactly as we say and no one will get hurt!”

 

_** to be continued ** _


	2. Well, Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cuffed and locked in...

The very same person who had held the door for the elderly woman was raising a gun and shouting, “This is a hold up! Do exactly as we say and no one will get hurt!” As they came fully into the bank, gun trained on the small line-up of customers, their partner behind them was locking the bank door and lowering the blinds before training their gun on the single teller behind the counter. They both wore black balaclavas, black clothes and black shoes. The first robber through the door strode quickly over to the line up. “No heroics and everyone will go home alive.” She had bright green eyes and a bit of a rasp to her voice, as if she’d smoked too many cigarettes that morning. She held out a black, unmarked bag. “Cell phones and watches in the bag.”

Ellis took her cell phone from her coat pocket and dropped it in the bag.

“Your watch too.” 

“I’m not wearing one.” Ellis pulled her coat sleeve up her left arm a little to reveal a bare wrist.

The thief with the raspy voice made eye contact with her. “Hands on your head until I tell you to lower them.” Then she stepped in front of Ashlyn. “Watch and cell in the bag, then put your hands on your head.”

The thief went up the line, repeating the demand until all six of them stood in similar fashion. She tossed the bag to her partner then gestured at the first two people in line. “Hold your hands out in front of you, palms down.” She cuffed them together before ordering them to the back.

Her partner watched them all carefully, finger resting inside the trigger guard of the shotgun.

In pairs, the customers were cuffed together and taken into the back of the bank somewhere.

When green eyes approached the last two customers, she made eye contact with Ellis again. “Stand on her right, your left wrist out.” Ellis did what she was told as the thief stood in front of them and cuffed them together quickly.“To the back. No heroics unless you want to die.”

They were marched to the open door of the vault, shoved rudely in and the heavy door was slammed behind them. As they turned together toward the door, they heard the click of the lock.

It was only then that Ashlyn spoke. “Well, shit.”

 

_** to be continued ** _


	3. Gunshots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashlyn attempts to get to know her fellow captive a little better

Thankfully, a light flickered on in the ceiling of the vault. It wasn’t much, but at least it was no longer dark.

Ellis sighed as she looked at their dimly-lit surroundings. “I guess I won’t make that interview now.”

“At least we’re safe.” Ashlyn replied softly. “We may as well sit down. There’s no telling how long we’ll be in here.”

“I suppose so.”

They manoeuvred together and made themselves as comfortable as they could.

“So, you know what I do for a living, what about you?” Ash asked.

“I’m a publicist.”

“Any clients I might know?”

“Well, I was working for a certain football star until last week. He’s been arrested for assault and vehicular manslaughter, so I’m sort of between jobs at the moment.”

“Ah.” Ash nodded. “I know who you mean. You had an interview this morning?”

“I did. I can probably kiss it goodbye now. The woman I was supposed to meet has a bit of a reputation as being a prickly personality and hard to get along with.”

“They say that when one door closes, another opens. Maybe you weren’t supposed to get the client.”

“Maybe.” Ellis shrugged. “If there’s light, there would be an air vent, right?”

Ashlyn nodded. “I think I read somewhere that all new vaults are supposed to have built-in life support features, in case of lock-ins.”

“So all we have to do is hope this is a newer vault.”

“Well, the fact that there’s light is encouraging.” Ash reassured her fellow captive while trying to size her up. She had loose dark hair that fell to just past her shoulders, and Ash remembered seeing a streak of grey at one of her temples. She seemed to be in her later twenties, and surprisingly calm considering their circumstances. “You don’t seem very upset, considering how your morning has gone.” Ashlyn observed.

 

“My last client was prone to sudden mood-swings and sporadic rages.” Ellis explained. “After him, I’m a little jaded. I figure we were an obstacle to the bank robbers, so they shoved us in here to get us out of their way.”

“So it would seem.”

“Does anyone know you were coming to the bank this morning?”

Ash peered at her curiously. “Sorry?”

“Well, if someone knows you were headed here, and you don’t show up where you’re supposed to be, they’ll come looking for you, right?”

“Yeah, I told Ali I had to stop here. I was supposed to meet her for breakfast by now. She’ll worry when I don’t show up.”

“So someone will come looking for you, at least.”

“You say that like you don’t expect anyone to miss you.” Ash said.

“They won’t.” Ellis volleyed. “I was a little surprised to see you here, I thought you had moved down to Orlando, especially considering our weather lately.” She changed the topic, which was not lost on Ashlyn.

“I’m moving next week. Just tying up loose ends, really.”

****

Ellis wanted so badly to ask how Ali was taking the impending move. But she knew their relationship was private, and she refused to be a creepy fan.

Especially since Ashlyn didn’t have any way to duck out of an uncomfortable situation. “Looking forward to getting back to warm weather?”

“Yeah, and spending time on the water. You swim or anything?”

“I go to the gym as often as I can, and read a lot, and follow the USWNT, when the team plays of course.”

“I figured.” Ash smiled. “You ever play?”

“In school. But my thing was running, and baseball.”

“You were a jock.” Ashlyn grinned.

“From what I’ve read, so were you.”

“Absolutely. How did you get into publicity?”

Ellis shrugged. “I had interviewed for a position the week I graduated high school. Didn’t get it, but was offered a job as a publicist for a small bookstore. I found out I was good at it, and enjoyed it. Just stayed with it.”

Conversation was interrupted by muffled shouting outside the vault. After a minute or two, the shouting stopped abruptly.

“I’m not sure if I want to know what’s going on out there or not.” Ellis said quietly. “It’s too bad so many on the team are retiring. Any idea what you might want to do after you retire?” She asked to fill the silence.

“I’m not sure yet. I’ve still got some time to figure it out, I’m nowhere near ready to retire yet.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to imply that you were.” Ellis mumbled.

“It’s all right. You aren’t the first to ask me that. I’m toying with the idea of opening a high-end restaurant, and I’ve always got my communications degree to fall back on.” Ash replied.

“You’d make a damn good ‘keeper coach too.”

“Thanks.” Ash grinned.

 

Anything further she might have said was cut short by the muffled sound of gunshots just outside the vault.

 

_**to be continued!** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for clarification, I don’t know what it’s like to be locked inside a bank vault, and I have no idea what plans Ash has for her post-retirement life. Wish I did...but regardless, we all hope that is a long way off. Remember, this is fiction, folks. Please don’t send any burning bags of unicorn poop in judgement.


	4. Someone Has Noticed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help has arrived, Ali is there and gunshots ring out.

“I’m standing outside the bank right now, and I’m telling you something isn’t right!” Ali tried not to snap. “I had plans to meet with a friend earlier. She said she had to come to the bank...yes, this bank, the National Bank on third, yes...she didn’t show up, so I drove here. Her car is here, but the bank door is locked and all the blinds are down, I can’t get inside or see in. You need to send someone over here to check this out. Yes, I’ll wait…”

When gunshots rang out inside the building, Ali ducked and scuttled back to her car on the far side of the parking lot, yelling into her phone. “Did you hear that? That was a gun! For the love of whatever you hold dear, send someone!”

Suddenly, being on the phone was pissing her off, even if she was on with the police. She abruptly hung up and jammed the phone in her back pocket. “Jesus Christ, Ash, what the hell have you gotten yourself into now?”

 

********

 

Ellis swallowed hard. She tried not to let the situation get to her. But trying to prove to someone she looked up to that she could handle herself, wasn’t as easy as she’d first thought. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

“It’s okay, really.”

Ellis opened her eyes and looked at Ash. “You’re handcuffed to a near-stranger and locked in a bank vault, how can you think this is okay?”

Ashlyn shrugged. “Well, you aren’t a stranger. I already know a great deal about you. It could be worse, but it isn’t. Focus on that.”

“I’ve told you very little about me, how could you know a ‘great deal’?”

Ash fixed her gaze on a point above the door opposite where they sat. “I know you’re a kind person with a good heart. I know you’ve settled into a high stress job because you’re good at it. I know you’ve convinced yourself you can handle anything, but you internalize your stress judging by the streak of grey at your temple and the fact that you bite your nails. You’re alone, and unhappy. I know you respect people’s boundaries otherwise you would have asked whether or not Ali and I are a couple. You’re logical, practical and without roots…”

“You’re right.” 

“About what?”

“All of it. You noticed the grey?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ve been wondering if I should dye it.”

“Pfft” Ash made a dismissive gesture with her left hand. “Does it bother you?”

“No, I kind of like it.”

“Then leave it as a badge of honor of how hard whathisname made you work.”

Ellis had to chuckle. “As crazy as he made me, I can’t imagine doing anything else for a living.”

“I hear that.” Ash nodded. “So no hotties in your life?”

 

“Not any more. My last girlfriend got tired of my uneven work-to-romance equation and left me. I don’t blame her, she deserved better.”

“It’s a struggle, to balance work and private time.” Ash agreed. “There have been times…” She let her near-confession fade.

“Hey, what’s shared in the vault, stays in the vault.” Ellis said. “I’m a professional secret-keeper, remember?”

Ash chuckled and nudged Ellis just a little with her shoulder. “Would I need to sign a contract if we were on the outside of that door?”

“Nah. As far as I’m concerned, this falls under the Vegas Convention rules.”

“There’s no such thing.” Ash remarked.

“There is now.”

“Okay then.” Ashlyn smiled in the gloom. “It can be difficult to balance one’s girlfriend with work.”

“I didn’t guard our private time closely enough.” Ellis admitted. “I let my work get in the way. I have no one to blame but myself.”

 

“Maybe she just wasn’t the one for you.”

Ellis shrugged. “Maybe.”

Ash regarded Ellis with a tilt of her head. “When the right person for you comes along, you’ll know it. You just have to have a little faith that we were never intended to go through this life alone, you know?”

“You sound like you believe that.”

“I really do. We  _ need _ people, we can’t take this jungle of a world on ourselves. We all need each other.”

“Ali is really lucky.”

Ash shook her head. “I’m the lucky one. She’s been a lifesaver for me. she’s my rock. I can’t tell you how many times she’s reached out to me, and said just the right thing that kept me going, or kept me focused. I wouldn’t be where I am in life without her.”

“Did you mean what you said before, about Ali deserving the best?”

“I absolutely did. Every day I wake up, I try to be the best person I can be for her. I’m not successful every day, but I try.”

“You could go into motivational speaking in the NWSL offseason, you know.” Ellis said with a small smile.

Ashlyn returned her smile.

 

********

 

“Ma’am, it’s a hostage situation. Beyond that, we don’t know what we’re dealing with yet.” The police officer tried to direct Ali out of the parking lot.

“My girlfriend is in that bank, and I’m not leaving until she walks through that door. Are you ordering me to leave?”

“No Ma’am, I’m  _ recommending _ that you leave the parking lot. I cannot guarantee your safety if there is an exchange of gunfire with the suspects inside.”

“I’m staying.”

“Fine, but please stay in your vehicle.” After fifteen minutes of trying to appeal to the brunette’s logic, the officer gave up and strode back to the line of cruisers across the parking lot.

Ali slumped down in her seat, hoping none of the other officers would force her to leave.

“I’m here, Ash. and I’ll be here as long as I can.” She murmured. “Stay safe and come back to me in one piece.”

 

_**to be continued!** _


	5. Sobbing, Snotty Messes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a bit more about the bank robbers, Ali tries to deal with waiting, and an impatient Whitney.

Ali was sitting in her car watching the bank when a text came through from Whitney.

 

_ Hey, I can’t reach Ash on her cell. Is she with you? _

_ Whit _

 

“Shit.” Ali ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She couldn’t reach Ash either. The sight of her car parked not far away combined with the knowledge that Ashlyn had said she had to stop here and the gunshots she’d heard, all screamed trouble. How much should she tell Whitney? She didn’t want to worry her, but which was the better choice...tell her that Ash was inside a bank where there had been gunfire and have her out of her mind with worry, or deflect the question and suffer Whitney’s anger later when she found out the truth?

 

Ali picked her phone up off the passenger seat where she’d tossed it earlier.

_ Whit, _

_ Ash isn’t with me, but I’ll tell her to check her phone as soon as she’s out of the bank. Changing her home branch before the move, I think. _

_ Ali _

She hoped it was answer enough.

 

********

 

At the same time Ali was trying to deflect Whitney’s concerns, Ash and Ellis were sitting in the vault listening to someone try to get in. Every now and then they could hear bits of shouting.

“...box we need is in there...on your arm!”

The hostages could hear the sound of a bolt shift, and Ellis swallowed, wondering if Ash’s inspirational conversation would be in vain. “I’m not ready to die.” She said quietly.

 

********

 

Green Eyes slapped the front of the vault before spinning to face her partner. “Please explain to me why you thought it was a good idea to write the fucking combination on your  **_arm_ ** !” She shouted.

“Would you rather I have written it on a piece of paper I might have lost?” Her partner shouted back.

“Well it’s just as gone, init?” Green eyes spat back. “We need in that vault,  **_NOW_ ** ! I don’t care how you do it, but find a way in.”

“And what will you be doing, while I pull a goddamned miracle out of my ass?” Her partner’s brogue was beginning to become obvious in her frustration.

“Making sure none of our bargaining chips can escape. Now get it done.” Green Eyes turned away and left the vault room.

“When I left Scotland, I never imagined I’d be doing this.” The bank robber leaned her shotgun up against the wall and tilted her arm toward the light, trying to make numbers out of the faded blue blob on her arm that had once been a vault combination.

 

Green Eyes checked the rooms where they had relocated their handcuffed hostages. The women in the washroom were sobbing, snotty messes of running mascara and tears. The manager’s office held the teller and a man that had been standing in line. They sat cuffed together on the floor, but there was something about the man...Green Eyes studied him carefully. He looked hard and flinty.

“You can’t keep us here forever.” His voice was calm.

“Shut up! You speak when I tell you to and not before!”

“At least let the women go.”

“I said shut up!” Green Eyes strode across the room quickly and brought the muzzle of her gun down, sharp across his cheek. “Another word, and I will kill you without hesitation.” She enunciated slowly.

Only when he lowered his eyes to the floor did she leave the room, shutting the door behind her.

****

Ali jumped when the officer she’d been speaking to earlier rapped on her window. “I need you to get out of the car, Ma’am.”

Ali shoved her phone in her jacket pocket and got out. “What is it?”

The officer looked irritated as she glanced down the street. “I’m getting a lot of flack for letting you stay this close, this long. And the media has arrived. You might not want to be in front of their cameras.”

“I’m not leaving until…”

“Yes, Ma’am, I know your girlfriend is inside. I understand, really. If you were anyone else, and she was anyone else, I’d suggest you go home and wait for word. But you aren’t going to do that, are you?”

“Not on your life...” Ali peered at the officer’s name tag. “Officer Rauch.”

“I can’t allow you to get any closer than what you are, but I can recommend a good cup of coffee.”

“What the hell makes you think I want coffee at a time like this?” Ali spun to face the officer.

“The fact that your view will be better and you’ll be at a different, and safer angle, Ma’am.” The police officer gestured with a tilt of her head to a coffee shop two doors down.

Ali turned and studied the front of the coffee shop, then the front of the bank.

“There’s a bit of a nip in the air, isn’t there, Miss Krieger?” Rauch continued in a quieter voice. “You might want to put your hood up. Media eyes, and the wind, can be unforgiving this time of year, don’t you think?”

“Thank you.” Ali replied, more gently than she’d spoken to the officer all day.

“My pleasure, Ma’am. I expect we’ll see you as soon as this is over.”

“You can bet on it.” Ali flipped her hood up, locked her car and walked away from the news van and toward the coffee shop.

****

Inside the bank, the phone had begun to ring. It rang for a full minute before a voice came from the street.

“This is the police! Answer the phone and we can talk about what you want.”

Green Eyes ignored the voice and went back to the vault. “Have you gotten anywhere yet?”

“Two numbers.”

“You figured out two, or you’re two away?”

“I’ve got two.”

“How many more to complete the combination?”

“Four.”

“Step on it! The police are outside!”

“Then you’d better figure us a way out of this mess, don’t you think, Nell?” The Scot-turned-bank-robber half turned with a sneer.

Green Eyes stepped into her partner’s space while pulling a SIG Sauer from the small of her back. She jammed it under the Scot’s chin roughly. “Use my name on a job one more time and I’ll blow your head off without so much as blinking. You hear me,  _ girl _ ?” She hissed.

“Uh huh.” Was the only answer her partner could give, finding it difficult to speak with a gun barrel rammed under her chin.

She was violently shoved, and a shot ricocheted off the door beside her head.

“Now get the fucking door open.” Nell rasped. 

 

**_to be continued!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	6. With Water So Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go wrong very quickly.

The phone continued to ring and it continued to go unanswered for another half an hour. When Nell had finally reached her breaking point, she snatched up the receiver. “What?!”

“This is Captain Roosevelt. To whom am I speaking?”

“I’m the person who has six hostages at gunpoint, with a jumpy trigger finger.”

“What can I get for you?”

“Do you think I’m stupid enough to think you’ll bring me pizza and beer if I ask for it? Don’t insult my intelligence.”

“You must want something, otherwise you wouldn’t be in your current circumstances.”

“When I am ready to leave, I want clear, unmolested passage. That’s all. Let me go and no one will get hurt. Stop me and people will die.” Nell hung up.

Then she went back to the vault.

“Figured out any more numbers?”

“I only need the last two.”

“Good.”

“I have a question though.” Her partner asked. “When we do get in, what are we doing with the hostages you locked in there?”

“Kill them, take what we came for and get to the airport.”

 

Nell did another round of hostage checks, more than ready to get out of this damned bank.

They were supposed to be in the air already, heading for water so blue it looked fake. Heading for somewhere warm, and non-judgemental.

Somewhere that did not extradite criminals.

Somewhere she could start over.

But the phone was ringing again, and she was stuck here, trying to figure out a way out of a fucked up mess gone wrong because her partner thought it was a good idea to write the key on her arm.

And still the phone rang.

Finally, she’d had enough.

 

She stormed into the office and let the door slam into the wall behind it, making the hostages jump. “Get up!”

“Don’t hurt us!”

“Where are we going?” The man who had given her attitude earlier demanded.

“Shut up. We’re going to the door.”

The hostages both stopped talking. She could watch hope creep across their faces like kids at Christmas.

She trained her gun on them and jerked her head toward the door.

Out in the main room, the phone continued to ring.

At the main door, Nell shoved the muzzle into the teller’s back. She addressed the man. “Try any stupid shit and she’ll die because of you. Unlock the door slowly. Shuffle to the side and stop when I tell you. Understand?”

Both captives nodded.

“Unlock it.”

 

He reached up and unlocked it as he’d been told. He opened the door and they raised their hands to show the police outside they were unarmed. They shuffled to the side as Nell shouted at the line of police barricaded behind their cruisers

“Stop calling me!”

Then she shot the teller in the temple.

Both the handcuffed hostages fell away from the door as Nell shut it quickly, relocked it and scurried toward the vault.

 

**_To be continued_ **


	7. Liberators

Captain Roosevelt turned to the officer at his left, “Any luck on finding out who she is?”

“No sir. Our techs report they didn’t get a good look because she was down and behind the hostages, but…” Officer Rauch hesitated.

“Spit it out! Now is not the time to get shy!”

“Yes sir...when I was looking over one of their shoulders at the footage...I thought I saw a reflection in the door.”

“Show me.” The captain gestured to the command trailer. When they were inside, Roosevelt addressed a tech. “Bring up that footage of the hostages coming out. Play until Rauch says to stop.”

The three of them watched carefully as the film showed the hostages as they came out of the bank, raised their hands and shuffled to the side. The muzzle of a gun came up, fired and the teller fell, pulling the man down with her. As they watched the hostages fall, Rauch raised a hand. “Slow it down to half speed….and STOP!” Then she touched a fingertip to the screen. “That blur, right there, is our hostage taker.”

The three of them studied a smeared image, but clearly that of a red-haired woman.

“I want that cleared up, blown up and analyzed.” Captain Roosevelt told the tech. “I want to know who she is, why she’s in that bank and what’s in her background I can use.”

As the tech nodded, Roosevelt turned again to the officer beside him. “Good work, Rauch! You’re with me.”

Back outside, the captain said, “That was a good catch. You’ve worked hostage negotiations before?”

“Just in the background.”

“What were you assigned to do here today?”

“Crowd control, sir.”

“As of now you’re my right hand, and my eyes, clear?” Roosevelt zipped his jacket up as he eyed the woman in uniform beside him.

“Yes sir!”

 

****

 

“We’ve been in here for hours.” Ellis said in a near whisper. “I haven’t heard anything else since that thud. Do you think they left?”

Ashlyn opened her eyes and lifted her head off the wall as she replied. “No. I keep hearing beeping every now and then. I think that thud you heard before was a gunshot, and I think someone is trying to get in here.”

“Bloody hell…” Ellis wiped her hands on her thighs. “What do we do if…?”

“We pray that the next time that door is opened, the police are on the other side.” Ash replied and leaned her head back again.

 

_ Ali, I hope you’re okay. I really hope you noticed how late I was and called the cops.  _ She thought.

_ If we get out of here I need a beer. I wonder if it’s late enough? This can’t be it, I still have more to do. I haven’t said goodbye to anyone...I can’t go before my parents...before my grandmother.  _ Ash let out a long, deep sigh.

 

****

 

“Look at the bank, Rauch, what do you see?” Captain Roosevelt jerked his head toward the building as they crouched down behind a cruiser.

Officer Rauch studied the bank carefully for a minute, noting the flat roof, the typical wire-reinforced glass doors, the brickwork and the Chinese food restaurant next door. “Has anyone obtained copies of the floorplans for the bank and the business next door yet, sir?”

“The SWAT team is in position now waiting on my word. They found a copy of the blueprint for the bank, why?”

Rauch glanced at the bank before facing her commanding officer again. “Because the restaurant has been there for ten years, and the bank has only three. If the walls weren’t rebuilt and reinforced between the two, the SWAT team might be able to cut a hole in a back adjoining wall and gain access that way. If we can keep the suspect’s attention up here, in the front, SWAT could have an advantage.”

Roosevelt’s eyebrows shot up and he peeked his head up over the hood of the car. He studied both storefronts for less than a minute before nodding and reaching for his radio to make contact with the SWAT team leader.

 

**_To be continued!_ **

  
  



	8. Negotiations and Insights

“Sergeant Gale, Officer Rauch.” Captain Roosevelt made the introductions. “Rauch, tell him what you told me.”

The patrol cop turned to the burly SWAT commander. “The restaurant has been there longer than the bank. When the bank moved in, the glass was all replaced with wire reinforced stuff, but I doubt the walls were modified in any way. If they weren’t, a hole can be cut allowing controlled access into the bank.”

Gale made a thoughtful grunt and looked Rauch up and down. “How long you been on the force?”

“A couple of years.” She replied.

“Hmm. Patrol?” He asked.

She nodded.

“You’re being wasted there. Good catch.” He clapped a heavy hand on her shoulder and nodded once before turning away.

 

****

Ali sat at the table in the coffee shop window and watched a new flurry of activity. She could see a heavily armed officer speaking to his colleagues and pointing at a building next door. They all went inside and she hoped this was a sign it would all be resolved soon.

“Quite the thing, that bank hold up, eh?” The waitress said as she refilled Ali’s mug.

“I hope they get control of it soon. My girlfriend is in there.” Ali said absentmindedly a heartbeat before she realized what she’d said. “I mean…” She floundered and glanced up to the woman at her elbow.

The waitress settled her free hand on Ali’s shoulder. “Relax, Miss Krieger. You and Miss Harris have been coming in here for awhile now, and anyone with eyes could see it. Folks have asked before...I know nothing.” She gave her a confident smile. “I’m sure the police will get ahead of this, and she’ll be safe and sound.”

Ali tried to return the smile, but her heart wasn’t in it.

“You let me know if you need anything.” The waitress patted her shoulder and went to see to her other customers.

****

A uniformed officer approached the Captain, still hunkered behind a cruiser. “Here’s the floor plans for the restaurant, sir.”

“Thank you.” Roosevelt took the sheet and turned them toward Rauch. After they had both studied the document between them, the Captain spoke into his radio again, calling for Gale.

****

“You think we’ll get out of this?” Ellis asked. Neither of them had spoken in some time.

“I think so, yeah.” Ash was beginning to have her doubts, but she knew it would be dangerous to give voice to them. “I’m looking forward to having a coffee, and a beer, in that order.”

“I’m looking forward to going to the bathroom.” Ellis muttered.

Ashlyn chuckled. “Yeah, maybe that should come first.”

****

Roosevelt listened to his call inside go unanswered.

Five minutes.

Ten.

Finally, the woman picked up. “What the fuck? Did you not hear what I said, or do I need to shoot someone else?”

“No, I heard you. But you must be getting hungry, or thirsty, right? It’s been hours.”

There was a slight hesitation on the other end of the phone.

“Yeah.”

“So let me get you some water, maybe some sandwiches...we can leave them outside the door for you.”

“I don’t trust cops! I don’t trust you! Always pulling something…”

“Listen, I’m just concerned about you.” Roosevelt spoke a little quieter, a little slower. “You want to keep your wits sharp, right? You can’t do that on an empty stomach. So eat something first, and then we’ll talk about how you see this ending okay?”

He waited while the woman considered his offer.

“You said your name was Roosevelt? Like Teddy Roosevelt?”

“I’m not as much of a nature lover as he was, but yeah. Who’s this?” he replied conversationally.

“Nice try. You mean it...about those sandwiches?”

“I did.”

“A couple subs would be nice.”

Roosevelt watched Rauch, who was listening on her own earpiece, hold up six fingers.

“So...assorted ones? What...six or so, right?” Roosevelt spoke casually, as if he were talking to an acquaintance.

“Two will do. We’ll be leaving soon.” The woman hung up abruptly.

“Sir,” Rauch put a hand on the captain’s forearm. “She has a partner, and they aren’t going to feed the remaining four hostages.”

Roosevelt glanced down at her hand, and it was quickly removed. “Continue.”

“She said, ‘we’. “ Rauch explained her train of thought. “Earlier she claimed six hostages, we have two of them. So she still has four people in there, as well as her partner. But she isn’t allowing the hostages any food or drink that we know of. She has no interest in their comfort, which means that she may be planning to kill them, if she hasn’t already.”

Roosevelt saw Gale moving quickly toward them.

“Captain, the hole is nearly cut through. We’re getting ready to push into the bank.”

“Good. Do you have any objections to Rauch accompanying the team?”

“No sir.” Gale made eye contact with the patrol officer. “You stay behind the initial entry team though. They’ve trained for this. You haven’t.”

She nodded, trying not to smile in celebration. “Understood.”

“Let’s get you some better Kevlar then."

 

to be continued!


	9. Rescuers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan to free the hostages is revealed and we get some insight into the mastermind behind the hold up.

“According to the floor plan, the hole will open into a washroom on the other side. We’ll breach one at a time. We don’t want to make the hole too big because that will increase the risk of noise.” Gale explained to Officer Rauch as she slipped a bullet-proof vest over her uniform.

“Okay.”

“As we’re breaching, you’ll have a radio and be listening to Roosevelt make contact with the  suspect inside. If their negotiations break down, it’s your job to alert us so we can change our plan if need be. Essentially, you are the bridge between what’s going on outside and how we proceed. Clear?”

“As crystal, sir.” Rauch made sure her earpiece was in so no one else, either in the breaching team or inside the bank would hear her radio. She knew silence would be key to their successful entry.

“For now, I’ll be behind the officer making the hole. He’ll hand pieces of drywall back, man to man. It’ll be piled out of the way. You’ll stand off to the side, within my line of sight so I can see your signals. Once we’re through, you take a position in the middle of the team. Any questions?”

“No sir.”

“Good. Let’s rescue those folks inside.”

 

Inside the bank, the phone rang again. It shrilled through the space, echoing off the walls and annoying the crap out of Nell. She was sorely tempted to ignore it but her stomach was making noises as if she hadn’t eaten in days. 

Against her better judgement, she snatched the receiver up. “What?”

“This is Captain Roosevelt again. I wanted to let you know that we’re sending an officer up to the door with subs and water.”

“Fine.” Nell replied. “Thank you.”

“Can we talk about how you see this ending?”

 

Inside the restaurant next door, Rauch nodded to Gale. He patted the shoulder of the officer kneeled at his feet, who pushed a long serrated blade into the wall in front of him.

 

“I’m not an idiot.” Nell replied as she watched an officer in tactical gear approach the door of the bank. She could see a bag in one hand, sporting the logo of a nearby sub shop, and six pack of water in his other hand. “In my version of a perfect ending, you bring a helicopter in, we take it to the airport where we get on a plane and get away. In your version, you take us down and you get to go home at the end of the day while we go to prison. In my version, no more blood is spilled, In yours...well, let’s just say that these floors will need replacing because you and I both know blood never really goes away, don’t we?”

The officer outside set the bag and the six pack of water down in front of the door and backed away slowly, as if he faced a starving lion, rather than a financial institution.

“Can I ask what it is you’re looking for?” Roosevelt inquired.

“No.”

“Okay. It’s going to take me a little while to arrange a chopper.”

“Fine. Let me eat in peace. No funny shit.”

“Agreed…” Anything further he might have said was cut off when the call disconnected.

 

“Sir!” A uniformed officer scurried to his side. “The techs in the trailer have something. They want to see you.”

“Finally.” Roosevelt muttered and left the safety of his car. He had barely closed the trailer door behind him when he blurt out, “What have you got for me?”

A young man with a vague middle-eastern appearance half-turned in his chair. “We know who she is.” He hit a button on his console and brought up a clear photo of the woman inside the bank. “Nell Alverson. She’s wanted for murder and fraud, both committed a year ago. She dropped off our radar and we haven’t seen a sign of her until today.”

“Any idea why she’d hold up a bank?” Roosevelt asked him without taking his eyes from the photo. The woman stared into the camera, bright green eyes, hard as flint, set deep into an oval, but unremarkable face.

“The only thing we’ve found is a rented safe-deposit box leased in the name of the man she murdered. We have no way to know what’s inside the box though.”

“Good work so far.” Roosevelt clapped his hand on the tech’s shoulder. “Look at her past, just before she became a murderer. Family, financials, schooling, all of it. Anything you think I can use, send someone to get me.”

“Yes, sir.”

 

Inside the restaurant, a large hole was being expanded. The drywall saw allowed the officer doing the work to cut larger pieces, which were then passed back, as per the plan. Gale kept glancing over to Rauch, who nodded. When the hole was large enough, Gale patted the shoulder of the officer with the drywall saw and made a fist. When the saw had been set silently on the floor, the team readied themselves and Sergeant Gale himself was the first one through the hole.

 

He spotted two hostages handcuffed together sitting in the corner. He put his finger to his lips and watched them nod in understanding. He crossed the room and helped them to their feet before pointing to the officers gathered by the hole in the wall. Gale caught the eye of one of the officers, pointed to the hostages, then to the hole. Rauch pushed forward and tapped the sergeant on the arm. When she had his attention, she made the universal sign for talking, then shook her head.

Gale nodded his understanding that the phone call had been disconnected. They would need to be ninja-silent. 

 

One by one, the SWAT team, with Rauch in the middle, eased out the bathroom door and toward the front of the building. At every corner, Gale used a small mirror to assess what lay ahead. At one corner, he scouted ahead with the mirror, pulled back and waved Rauch ahead. He used the mirror again, handed it to her and pointed to her eyes.

She used the mirror as he had and saw Nell’s partner at the vault door, still struggling to find the last of the combination.

Abruptly, Nell rounded another corner. “Cops brought lunch to the door. They thought we might get hungry, wasn’t that nice? They’re going to feed us before they shoot  us.” She said sarcastically. “How many numbers do you need now?”

“One.”

Rauch fought with the urge to pull the mirror back, but she didn’t want the movement to give the team away, so she stayed still and watched the two women in the glass.

“You might as well eat. No point in wasting a free lunch.” Nell handed the Scotswoman a sub and a bottle of water.

“Are you going to feed the hostages?”

Rauch tensed, knowing that the rescue had the potential to turn very bad if either of them went to feed the hostages they had contained in the washroom.

 

**_To be continued_ **

 

 

**_!_ **   
  
  
  



	10. Imminent Peril

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the last number of the combination is discovered.

_ Previously; _

_ “Are you going to feed the hostages?” _

_ And now, the continuation. _

 

“The hostages aren’t my concern. That vault is. Eat something and then get it open. We have a plane to catch and tropical breezes to enjoy.” Nell gave a half-nod toward the sub in her partner’s hand, turned on her heel and left.

As the woman with the smudged combination on her arm watched her go, Gale and Rauch traded places once more.

The sergeant watched the would-be bank robber sit on the floor with her back to the still-locked vault door. It didn’t take her long to eat as she continued to study the smear on her arm.

****

Ash had been leaning her head back, trying to stay calm and take her mind off her bladder when she realized Ellis’ breathing had been coming faster and more erratic. “Hey...you okay?”

“No…we’re going to…” Ellis was nearly hyperventilating.

“We aren’t.” Ash cut her off. “We’ll be fine. For all those interviews I’ve done, you know what no one has ever asked me?”

“About you and Ali?”

“Oh no, plenty have asked that. No one has ever asked me why I surf, what the appeal of it is.”

Ellis gave her an odd look but Ashlyn kept talking in her quiet way. “There’s something almost surreal about being on top of the water that’s pushing you along. If you can get inside a tube, there’s nothing to compare that to, it’s hard to even describe to someone. The way the water can be both green and blue, and so clear and smooth as glass...No one ever asks me what drags me willingly from my bed to watch the sun rise over the water, and I think that’s a shame.”

****

“It’s an eight!” The woman with the Scots-brogue clambered to her feet. She turned toward the keypad and punched in the entire code, with an eight as the final number. All the indicators above turned green and the sound of the last bolt slamming open could be heard throughout the previously quiet hallway. She chuckled as she pulled the release handle and the door opened a half inch.

She stopped when she felt something round and hard push into the back of her head.

“Thank you for your dedication.” Nell said from close behind her. “I’d  _ like _ to say I’m sorry you won’t be able to enjoy those warm breezes…”

“You never had any intention of letting me live, did you, Nell?” She pushed the door shut as she asked.

“Tsk, now what did I tell you about using my name, Mavis?”

The other woman closed her eyes and swallowed. She knew what came next. “Heavenly Father, forgive me…”

****

Ellis had finally started to relax and get her breathing under control when they heard the bolt slam open. They both jumped. It was almost a physical shock to hear a sound other than their own breathing and Ash’s quiet voice. When the door opened a crack, and they heard voices outside, relief began to make it’s way across Ellis’ features. 

But when the door closed again, Ash knew that it was not rescue on the other side. “Shit.” Her optimism finally failed her and she thought of Ali and her mega-watt smile. Her heart fell as she wished she could see her one last time.

****

“...I know I’ve sinned.” Mavis continued. “Please take pity on my soul…”

Nell pulled the trigger and watched her partner’s brains hit the vault door and begin to blend into a red slurry as gravity took over. “People like us have no souls, Mavis.” She wiped the blood off her face with her free hand before nudging Mavis’ body out of the way. She didn’t even flinch when the body flopped over to reveal half her face was gone. 

Nell took hold of the release handle and tugged it open a crack. “Time to die, ladies…”

  
**_To be continued!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap...! Are you on the edge of your seat, too?


	11. Termination Phase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all comes to a head now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, dear friends.

****_ Previously-- Nell took hold of the release handle and tugged it open a crack. “Time to die, ladies...” _

_ And now, the continuation. _

Because the door was open a crack, the seal that had muffled the sound was broken, so it was easy for the occupants of the vault to hear Nell’s proclamation.

Ash’s mind flashed lightning fast to everyone her death would affect and a ball of anger dropped like a stone into her stomach. “Fuck this.” She muttered. “Ellis, we aren’t going out this way.” Ash turned her head to make eye contact with her fellow hostage. “We outnumber her, if we join hands, rush her as she comes through the door, maybe we can clothesline her and kick the gun out of her reach. We still have a fighting chance in this.”

Ellis returned her steady gaze. “What the hell, if I’m going to die, I’m going to go down fighting.”

Ash smiled, dimples on full display. “That’s the spirit!”

They stood up together and joined hands so the force of their attack wouldn’t rip their wrists from their arms.

****

Gale brought his gun up into the ready position, stepped out from around the corner and  raised the muzzle so that the laser sight was focused on Nell’s chest. “Freeze!”

Nell stopped moving.

“Lower your weapon and step away from the vault.” Gale commanded. He could hear the other officers taking up position slightly behind him. “You’re outnumbered. Put your weapon down and get on your knees.” 

****

“Do you hear that?” Ellis asked. “That sounds like…”

“The police.” Ash finished.

“We’re not going to die after all!” Ellis squeezed Ash’s hand.

“That’s good, because I really wanted to take gold home from Rio this summer.”

****

“You really think I’d survive prison?” Nell asked the sergeant.

“I think you would do fine, Ma’am. But you need to put the gun down, okay?”

“Nell…” Rauch eased out into the hallway, with her gun slightly lowered and her other hand out. “You were framed, weren’t you? A year ago?”

“How the hell do you know that? You don’t know anything!”

“It’s my job to know when someone was wrongly accused of something.” Rauch could hear Gale’s teeth grinding as she tried to take control of the situation and bring it to a less bloody end. “No one else has to get hurt, Nell. Just put your gun down and we’ll talk about this, okay?”

****

In the window of the coffee shop, Ali watched as the two freed hostages were escorted out of the restaurant. “Oh my God, they got two out…” She tossed a five dollar bill on the table, grabbed her jacket and left without ever taking her eyes off the scene two doors down. “Please let the next one out be Ash…”

****

“I’m going to prison anyway.” Nell said to Rauch with a head jerk toward Mavis’ body. “It’s not as if you’re all going to forgive me.”

“No one else needs to die here today.” Rauch took a step closer.

“Pfft! We’re all going to die sometime.” Nell scoffed as she took hold of the handle on the vault door once more. “Today, tomorrow...the end game is going to be the same no matter what we do with our lives.”

“Let go of the door and put your gun down.”

“Don’t think so, sweet cheeks.” As she drew the door closer to her, Nell brought the muzzle of her gun up towards Rauch’s chest and squeezed the trigger.

Her shot went wide, but the multitude of laser sights pointed at her own chest ensured she would not spend time in prison.

As she fell backwards, her grip on the door tightened in response to being shot by six high powered rifles and one service pistol. The vault door swung wide and her gaze travelled up even as her head bounced off the floor. As the breath left her body, her last sight was of Ashlyn Harris. 

Rauch bolted the short distance to the vault door, kicked Nell’s gun away and turned to face the wide-eyed women inside. “It’s okay, you’re safe now.”

Ashlyn didn’t see the police officer at first. She couldn’t look away from the dead woman’s eyes, still locked onto her own.

“Are they…?” Ellis asked.

“Yes, Ma’am, they’re both dead, you’re completely safe now. What’s your name?” Officer Rauch asked as she unlocked the handcuffs that had linked them together.

“Ellis. Ellis Lincoln.”

“Why don’t you and Miss Harris come with me and we’ll get you some water, all right?”

“I think we need the bathroom first.”

Rauch noticed Ash still hadn’t said anything and knew her glassy stare. She had seen it on more than a few accident victims as someone tried to process their experiences. “Miss Harris, let’s get out of here, okay?” Rauch stepped into Ashlyn’s line of sight, blocking her view of the bodies.

“Hmm? Yeah...a bathroom.” Ash replied vaguely.

By the time the officer led them from the vault, someone had covered the two dead women.

After they had answered nature’s call, Rauch radioed Captain Roosevelt to let them know she was escorting the last of the hostages out. As they cleared the door, a loud cheer went up from everyone gathered outside, media and police alike.

As soon as she was outside, Ash heard Ali calling her name. She had never been more relieved to see her, and she crossed the space to the police tape at a run. Ali stood on the other side of the tape, crying and smiling with her arms open wide. Ash wrapped her arms around her and held on tightly, not caring who witnessed the emotional reunion.

“Ash...I was so worried…”

“I know, babe, believe me, I know.” Ashlyn closed her eyes and breathed in Ali’s scent, very aware of how close she had come to never having the chance again and trying hard to erase the memory of the dead woman’s eyes. After a few moments, she released her grip and stepped back. “Ali, there’s someone I want you to meet…” Ash half-turned and waved Ellis over. “This is Ellis Lincoln. She had the misfortune of being handcuffed to me for however many hours it’s been.”

Ali let go of Ashlyn long enough to reach out and shake Ellis’ hand. “Pleased to meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances though. Seven, by the way.”

“Hours?” Ellis felt her eyebrows rocket.

Ali nodded and turned as a uniform stopped beside them. “Officer Rauch?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I see you’ve been reunited.” The police officer smiled for the first time in hours.

“This was the officer that got us out…” Ash began. “But why do I get the impression you’ve already met?” 

“We have. Officer Rauch allowed me to stay close by so I would be here when they got you out.”

Rauch nodded and addressed Ash. “I hate to pull you away from your girlfriend, Miss Harris, but we need to get a statement from both you and Miss Lincoln before details become foggy. By the time that’s all wrapped up, we should have your phones for you. I understand they were taken from you?”

Ashlyn and Ellis nodded.

“Do you need anything, Ash?”

“Coffee...I don’t know about Ellis, but I’m nearly ready to suck on a coffee bean.”

Ali chuckled a little.

“We’ll be over at the command trailer when you get back, Miss Krieger. Just let them know I said you could be passed through. I’ll leave word as well.”

“Thank you.” Ali nodded.

Ash hugged her one more time before stepping back. “This won’t take long. I’ll see you over there, okay?”

Ali smiled and nodded.

As Ash followed Officer Rauch to the command trailer, she said, “Online banking is looking a lot better now.”

****

An hour later, Ashlyn and Ellis had inhaled coffee and sandwiches, and exchanged phone numbers. Ali offered to drive Ellis home, and the three of them left as a group. “That was fine police work you did today, Rauch. Sergeant Gale tells me you tried to talk the suspect into surrendering.” Captain Roosevelt clapped a hand on the patrol officer’s shoulder.

“I did.” She confirmed. “I figured three dead were enough. But in the end, I think she had chosen suicide by cop.”

“That’s the way of it sometimes, no matter what you do.” Roosevelt nodded. “Anyway, I’ll be putting a commendation in your file for your actions today. Gale said he’d be happy to work with you again, even though you hot-dogged it. Said it showed you were adaptable. I’d say you impressed him.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I agree with him though, I think your talents are wasted in patrol. Ever think about something a little more challenging?”

“Is that a suggestion, sir?” Rauch asked.

“Well, I think you’d be a good fit on the Tactics and Rescue Unit. They take on hostage incidents like we saw here today, barricaded persons, sniper incidents, search of armed or dangerous fugitives, execution of high risk warrants, V.I.P. security and prisoner escort.  Look it up, ask around, and if it’s something you’re interested in, Gale and I will be glad to give our recommendations.”

Thank you, Captain!” Rauch grinned broadly.

“You earned it. Now go home and put your feet up. I expect you in my office at 0900 tomorrow morning.” 

“Yes, Sir.”

**  
_The End_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! What did you think? What was your favorite part of the story?  
> (We haven't seen the last of Officer Rauch...not by along shot...)


End file.
